Franchise Secrets Podcast

You've heard it a million times; "It's not what you know, it's who you know." But how do you go about networking in the right way? Erik and Justin Donald share their dos and don'ts of networking.

The truth is, there are right and wrong ways to network. The wrong ways lead to dead ends and the right ways lead to genuine relationships and possible deal flow. Check out the full video and remember, Motive Matters! 

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Learn more about Justin and Lifestyle Investor:

https://justindonald.com/

Justin Donald has mastered the low-risk cash flow investment principles he shares with entrepreneurs around the world. These principles center on creating passive income and significant wealth while liberating yourself from a day-to-day job.

His innovative mindset principles and 10 commandments of Lifestyle Investing have released scores of entrepreneurs from the “golden handcuffs” that came with running life-consuming enterprises. Justin’s 10 commandments are revealed in inspiring detail in his book, The Lifestyle Investor. In it, he shares the secrets that empowered him to multiply his net worth to over eight figures in less than two years – before doubling it just two years later.

Now he focuses on showing today’s entrepreneurs and business executives how to think and invest to limit risk and maximize repeatable returns through his proven passive income cash flow strategies. Justin’s principles enable you to move from an “earned income” career to support your lifestyle with passive cash flow investments that give you the absolute freedom to live the life you truly desire.

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Erik Van Horn is a franchising specialist, and expert in multi-unit, semi-absentee franchise business ownership. From entrepreneur to regional developer, and investor to consultant, Erik has worn many hats over the last two decades, which has provided him unique insight into complex aspects of the industry. If you're a franchisee, a franchisor, or one aspiring to be, subscribe to the Franchise Secrets channel and visit www.FranchiseSecrets.com for even more tactical and practical tools to help you buy, grow, and sell franchises like an expert.

Anne Huntington Sharma talks growing up in a franchising family: learning from her franchisor parents, pivoting during a national crisis, and the future of Huntington Learning Center.

Anne Huntington Sharma is the President and a Board Member of Huntington Learning Center, the nation's leading tutoring and test prep provider. Anne oversees business strategy and growth initiatives, including partnerships, marketing, digital transformation, and franchise expansion.

Anne is involved in the arts as a collector, producer, philanthropist, curator, and founder of AMH Industries, a creative agency for contemporary art and culture. She has curated more than 30 exhibits across the country and raised over $30 million dollars for various philanthropic causes. Anne is also an associate producer on "The Price of Everything," an art documentary that appeared on HBO.

Additionally, Anne is active with arts, education, and business organizations. She is a board member for the Learning Disabilities Association of America, Art Advisory Board member for NYC’s Coalition for the Homeless, member of the Women’s Franchise Committee for the International Franchise Association, Co-Chair of the Young Collectors Council, and member of the International Directors Council at the Guggenheim Museum, and a founding member of the Future Leadership Council at the Whitney Museum. She also supports Teaching Matters, CHADD, and COPAA. For her service, Anne has been recognized by SmartCEO, Apollo Magazine, and Moves Magazine.

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Erik Van Horn is a franchising specialist, and expert in multi-unit, semi-absentee franchise business ownership. From entrepreneur to regional developer, and investor to consultant, Erik has worn many hats over the last two decades, which has provided him unique insight into complex aspects of the industry. If you're a franchisee, a franchisor, or one aspiring to be, subscribe to the Franchise Secrets channel and visit www.FranchiseSecrets.com for even more tactical and practical tools to help you buy, grow, and sell franchises like an expert.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by another member of the Mighty Dog Roofing family -- founder Jon Sabo. The guys talk about the partnership between Mighty Dog Roofing and Horsepower Brands, why Jon chose Erik and Horsepower Brands and what sets them apart from the others, the decision to start franchising the company, and forming an emerging brand.

For anyone thinking of either buying a franchise or turning your company into a franchise, this is a must-listen episode. It’s packed with great insight on things like rapid growth, partnerships, and the challenges faced along the way. 

Introduction

Lifestyle business (2:45)

Erik and Jon talk about what Mighty Dog Roofing initially was and some of the reasons why they decided to franchise and expand fast.

Why choose Horsepower Brands (3:26)

With his business already established but a desire to grow quickly, Jon teamed up with Erik and Horsepower brands. He explains the rationale for his pick.

You don’t know what you don’t know (5:55)

Every business faces challenges but by teaming up with Erik and Horsepower Brands, Jon was able to circumvent some of those before they ever became problems. He shares some of the things that he’s glad he had an experienced partner to help him out with.

Going alone vs. Partnering (10:33)

Having seen insane growth in a short time, Jon believes it would have taken him years to get to where Mighty Dog Roofing is right now. 

Slow vs. Fast growth (13:38)

There’s major risk with rapid growth of a franchise. Jon shares his thoughts on choosing slower growth compared to fast growth.

Advice for those thinking about franchising their business (17:09)

For those that already have an established business and are thinking about franchising it, there are things you should consider. Having gone through it himself, Jon details what business owners should consider before pulling the trigger.

The ethical draw (19:14)

When Jon was thinking about partnering with another brand to grow Mighty Dog Roofing, it was the integrity he saw in Erik and Horsepower Brands that drew him to them.

Jon’s role in the company (20:23)

Jon has taken a new role within Mighty Dog Roofing, training franchisees.

Focusing franchisees (21:38)

When coaching franchisees on what’s needed to run and grow a successful business, there is sometimes a need to refocus them on the most important parts of the business. Erik and Jon talk about what they look for to determine that refocusing is needed and how they coach the franchisees up. 

Why franchise (23:00)

Despite a pretty comfortable life with money in the bank, Jon explains his decision to start franchising and growing the brand, requiring more work and time.

Jon’s background (24:00)

Jon explains the work he did prior to starting Mighty Dog Roofing, including his time in the Marines.

What makes Mighty Dog Roofing different? (28:03)

Good brands are built on the idea that they do something unique and above the others in that space. For Mighty Dog Roofing, Jon believes it’s the company’s ability to stay ahead of the curve.

Last bits of advice (32:06)

Jon shares the few things that he thinks franchisees and franchisors should know, including the importance of open communication.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by Gino Wickman. You might know Gino as the author of “Traction” and the creator of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). His decades of experience offer an amazing insight into what makes a successful entrepreneur.

Erik and Gino go into great detail about the six traits that entrepreneurs have and how to know whether you’ve got them. Gino also shares his views on glimpse, clarity, and path to help entrepreneurs become more successful.

Gino Wickman’s background (1:24)

Gino gives the highlights of his career and where most people will likely know him from.

How young is too young to start? (3:39)

Gino believes there’s no such thing as “too young” to learn to be an entrepreneur. Gino shares an example of a young kid who even went as far as to franchise his lemonade stand with his friends.

Book outline (4:48)

Erik and Gino discuss the three main topics found in his book, detailing what readers will take away from it and the notion that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.

The 6 essential traits of entrepreneurs (7:18)

Over his decades in business and working with entrepreneurs, Gino found there are six essential traits they all share in common. Erik and Gino discuss those traits and the range of entrepreneurs that exist.

Passionate (15:39)

One of the essential traits of entrepreneurs is known as “passionate.” Gino breaks down what that means, what it looks like, and the importance of the trait. 

Do people evolve? (20:15)

Erik and Gino talk about the evolution of entrepreneurs. Though they have the essential traits already, Gino believes entrepreneurs gain more clarity and confidence as they move forward and embrace their traits.

Clarity (22:09)

Gino gives an example of what clarity looks like and how it comes about in entrepreneurs.

Glimpse (25:52)

Once you’ve taken the assessment and found that you have the six essential traits of entrepreneurs, it’s time for the “glimpse” stage. As Gino notes, it’s an opportunity to see both sides of the entrepreneur coin -- the good and the bad -- and learn the ropes

Path (39:04)

Gino shares the outline for Path, including the key chapters, 10-year thinking, and making better decisions.

Getting advice (43:15)

It can be so easy to get bad advice. However, Gino believes that knowing yourself and making 10-year decisions could mean you don’t even need to ask for outside advice.

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On this special episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik talks with one of Mighty Dog Roofing’s newest franchisees, Chris Rahill. In what will be a multi-part series, Erik and Chris will go through every step of the franchise process -- From discovery day and buying the franchise, and eventually operating the business. 

Hear Chris’s excitement, his fears, and his experience buying and running a franchise as he goes through it. Though he’s just beginning now, follow Chris on his journey as a Mighty Dog Roofing franchisee for his unique insight on everything to do with the franchise.

Chris’ background in the corporate world (1:27)

Having just left his corporate job to buy a Mighty Dog Roofing franchise, Chris details his experience in finance.

Discovery day (3:21)

Chris shares his experience with the discovery process before buying a franchise and what he’s seen during the discovery day for Mighty Dog Roofing

Franchisor’s perspective (17:36)

With Chris’s side of the story down, Erik shares what it was like as the franchisor during discovery day and beyond, signing franchisees up.

Signing agreements and wiring funds (22:00)

With a decision made to buy a Mighty Dog Roofing franchise, Chris talks about what was going through his mind signing the agreements, wiring money over, and officially becoming an owner of a franchise.

Getting advice (24:18)

It’s a big decision to buy a franchise and getting advice from others is a sound strategy. Erik and Chris talk about where he got his advice and why it’s important to go to people where you want to be.

The leadership team (34:09)

As Chris notes, he wanted to own his own business and he wanted to go with people that have already been there at the highest levels. He explains how Mighty Dog Roofing’s leadership team was a big sell for him.

Last bits of wisdom (37:38)

Before closing out the interview, Chris shares some of his insight for anyone looking to buy a franchise.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by Tommy Mello, the founder of A1 Garage Door Service and the host of the Home Service Expert podcast. Erik and Tommy do a deep dive into sales, marketing, and recruiting for service-based companies.

While many business owners focus their attention on doing the work itself, creating processes and tracking KPIs is critical to success and growth. As Tommy and Erik detail in this episode, investing in your processes, your research, and your employees can allow an entrepreneur to make decisions based on facts, not feelings.

Tommy’s background (1:02)

Tommy shares his journey to the point where he started A1 Garage Door Service.

Family business (2:38)

Tommy talks about working with family, including some of the challenges he’s had working with family members.

A1 Garage Door growth (5:36)

As Tommy noted, he didn’t plan for the company to grow as it has. He attributes the growth to managing the company with facts, not feelings. That means tracking KPIs and creating the type of raw data needed to make big decisions.

Embracing technology (7:00)

Erik and Tommy continue to discuss the use of technology, especially CRMs, to track KPIs.

Building up the company (9:40)

Tommy breaks down how he’s built the company to the size it currently is -- from creating standard procedures and manuals to tracking every part of the business. 

Getting focused (12:22)

Erik and Tommy talk about becoming laser-focused on their core business and how they’ve managed to push away distractions.

Traction (16:23)

Tommy and Erik discuss the system and book “Traction” and implementing the culture into a business.

Next steps (17:26)

Tommy details what the company’s current plans are, including some aggressive growth targets. He also explains some of the things the company is doing to achieve those goals.

Sales (24:50)

Tommy shares how he’s built up A1 Garage Door Service’s sales and some examples of how to build relationships with customers.

Consuming content (28:17)

Erik and Tommy talk about how they read books and consume other types of content to become better entrepreneurs. Tommy explains his process for creating notes and points out a few books he’s read.

Recruiting (34:10)

Tommy shares his insights on hiring employees and employee management, including having recruiters.

Training (37:33)

As Tommy notes, there are three main focus points in training -- Operational, technical, and sales.

Poor practices among competitors (41:55)

Tommy shares some of the things he sees his competitors doing wrong and his philosophy on things like pay and tenure.

Lead sources (46:55)

Lead sources like Angie’s List and Thumbtack are a staple of the industry. Tommy explains how he handles those types of services but points to search engine optimization and Google ads as a far better value.

Final bits of wisdom (50:50)

Tommy shares a few bits of his insight.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by Jennie Wolff, the chief marketing officer at Sola Salon Studios. Erik and Jennie discuss what makes a successful franchise marketing strategy.

No matter your product or service, being creating and knowing some basics are all you need to create a successful marketing campaign. Jennie details her experiences in marketing -- both for an agency and for Sola Salons -- to explain what good marketing looks like and how franchises can find more success by knowing their story.

Jennie’s background and experience (2:43)

Erik and Jennie discuss her background at Sola Salon Studios and some new moves the company has made.

Experience-based marketing agency (9:47)

Erik and Jennie take a step back to her time working with a marketing agency that focused on creating experiences, and how great writing can be the foundation of any marketing strategy. From how her several job interviews with the company went through to specific examples of projects she took on, Jennie breaks down her versatility as a marketer.

Finding vendors in marketing (19:03)

Jennie shares her experience finding various vendors for marketing tasks, from dipping into her own network to using a staffing service. She also explains that not every task needs to be filled permanently.

Franchise marketing at Sola Salons (23:06)

After joining Sola Salons, Jennie was thrown into the fire with franchisees wanting and needing things immediately. She shares some of her first experiences and challenges, as well as how the relationship between marketing and the franchisees has changed over time.

How private equity changed things (30:38)

As Sola Salons was bought out by a private equity firm, things have changed dramatically for Jennie and the marketing department. Bigger budgets and the ability to leverage new software solutions have allowed the marketing strategy to expand dramatically.

What good marketing looks like (33:24)

As Jennie notes, good marketing is all about knowing your customers and how to reach them. She believes being able to get into the head of your customers should be the chief concern for any marketing plan. Erik and Jennie discuss how good storytelling is another major key for any business.

Successful marketing strategies for emerging brands (39:59)

Jennie believes knowing just two things is the foundation for any successful marketing strategy. 1) What makes your product or service special, and 2) Who you’re solving a problem for. Knowing those answers determine your company’s story and that’s the best way to market any emerging brand.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by Mighty Dog Roofing co-founder and CFO, Tony Hulbert. Erik and Tony discuss everything to do with business KPI metrics and using them to hold people accountable.

No matter what department, defining your KPIs and setting goals is the only way to determine if everyone is hitting their marks. Whether it’s something high-level for the entire business or just an individual’s performance, properly defined and measured KPI metrics allow businesses to notice trends early and hold everyone accountable  

Tony’s background (1:47)

Tony goes over his experience prior to Mighty Dog Roofing, including working as a CFO for a large Pepsi distributor.

Business KPI metrics and dashboards (5:38)

With an accounting background, Tony discusses how he gathers the right data to determine KPIs to create dashboards for a company.

Getting people to buy into business KPI metrics (10:01)

As Tony and Erik point out, not everyone wants to define their KPIs and be measured by them. Tony believes that hiring the right people from the start is the best way to get them on board with being measured. However, he also thinks you can guide employees into accepting it by helping to establish the business KPI metrics together.

Leading vs. Lagging indicators (12:57)

Tony breaks down the differences between leading and lagging indicators, how to measure them, and how important they are to a business.

Dashboards: Purpose and important data points (16:32)

Tony explains the purpose of a dashboard, highlighting how it can make you aware of key indicators earlier. Erik and Tony also breaks down some of the important data points you should have on your dashboard.

Accountability (33:12)

With your business KPI metrics defined, it’s now about holding people accountable to them. Erik and Tony talk about the importance of keeping everyone accountable 

“Traction” (35:14)

Tony shares his experience with “Traction” and how implementing it fully allows the business to practically run itself.

Visionary vs. Implementer (37:24)

Erik says entrepreneurs should read the book “Rocketfuel,” which breaks down people into two key subsections: Visionaries or Implementers. Erik believes understanding the characteristics of both people will allow you to better understand the people you’re working with and how to maximize their potential. 

Overview of “Traction” (41:00)

Tony discusses the key components of “Traction” and how the vision step really drives everything else.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by Robert Bruski, a co-founder of CTRL V to discuss VR franchising and how he’s building an emerging brand. Robert breaks down his experience going from working in the Canadian version of Wallstreet to creating a VR franchise, while also talking about how he’s building the franchise into an emerging brand and all that comes with it.

Introduction to Robert and his company (1:18)

Robert explains what his company does and what a typical customer experiences when walking in the door.

VR equipment (2:14)

Erik asks Robert about the equipment used and the benefits of coming to a CTRL V location compared to doing it at home.

Canadian Wallstreet and  (4:29)

Robert details his background in Canada’s version of Wallstreet, including some of the big money he used to manage and why he eventually left. Robert also talks about his path from Baystreet to VR franchising.

Becoming a franchisor (7:24)

Business was going well but Robert wanted to begin franchising. He walks Erik through the steps he had to take creating a whole new industry, including the timeline for opening the very first franchise location. Robert also breaks down some of the initial problems they faced as new franchisors.

Challenges and lessons from the first franchise (13:26)

With their first franchisee, CTRL V was learning on the fly in many ways. Robert shares some of the things he learned along the way, from what processes are needed and how to handle franchisees.

Supporting franchisees (16:03)

Robert believes supporting his franchisees involves building relationships with them and including them. Erik and Robert break down who should be handling that role, at least early on.

How to build better franchisee/franchisor relationships (19:50)

Robert discusses what he believes is the foundation for forming a good franchisee/franchisor relationship

Emerging brands (22:31)

Not every emerging brand can handle blowing up, with many falling down as they begin to scale. Erik and Robert talk about how franchisors have to work a little extra hard as they start to become an emerging brand in order to ensure they stay around. 

Embracing the grind (26:35)

Erik and Robert discuss how successful people often have the ability and love to grind and hustle. Robert also shares his thoughts on how entrepreneurs can regain that ability and love when it has waned a bit.

Advice to new franchisees who are excited (28:47)

Robert and Erik detail the realities for those new franchisees who are excited to get started. Unfortunately, the beginning stages of opening a franchise involves a lot of hurry-and-wait.

Potential pitfalls (32:09)

Erik believes the best franchises are more than just processes and resources, they can actually prevent certain pitfalls. 

Happiness (37:30)

Robert believes a person’s happiness sets the foundation for their life to be better. However, life doesn’t always want to cooperate, which is why Robert also prays and meditates at the beginning of the day to start fresh.

Resources for the audience (41:56)

Robert details what resources he’s currently reading and listening to and how much time he’s dedicating to them in order to improve.

Last bits of wisdom (43:53)

Robert and Erik discuss the idea that founders don’t necessarily make great franchisors and how to know, as a founder, when it’s time to step back or step up.

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On this episode of the Franchise Secrets podcast, Erik is joined by Heather and Jerel Tomasello to talk about working with family in business. As a husband and wife pair, Heather and Jerel have reached big heights in the world of franchising. They’ve also had to deal with the difficulties being business partners brings and how that impacts their relationship.

Jerel and Heather discuss how they got started in franchising, why they choose the franchising model despite having business experience, and how they’ve managed to balance family and business.

Introduction

Getting started (4:39)

Heather and Jerel discuss their background and how they decided to start a business together.

Working together (4:31)

Heather and Jerel explain how they figured out each others’ strengths and weaknesses in business and how they best worked together as a pair.

Spouse, not employee (9:00)

Jerel and Heather share the difficulties of working together as business partners and spouses, including the times when the two don’t mesh well together. They talk about how they’ve been able to work out those bumps and Erik shares his own experiences.

What businesses are they in now (15:38)

Jerel and Heather talk about what they’re currently doing in business.

Going from corporate to entrepreneurship (19:17)

Jerel went from working for a franchisor back into entrepreneurship. He tells Erik how working on both sides has allowed him to know what he wants.

Balancing business and family (22:14)

Heather and Jerel have worked hard to balance their business side with their family and how much to bring their children into the mix.

Pushing children into business (28:25)

Erik, Heather, and Jerel talk about when and how parents should teach their children about business.

Why buy a franchise? (31:42)

With Jerel and Heather having business experience before starting a franchise, Erik wants to know why they chose franchising.

Using the franchise community to your benefit (35:16)

Erik notes how some people don’t take advantage of the wealth of experience in the franchising community. Heather and Jerel discuss their own experiences and why they believe it happens.

Getting into a new system (37:16)

Jerel discusses what he likes about the Joe Homebuyers franchise and what he does to pick up the most knowledge possible in a new system.

Consuming content (40:19)

As Jerel notes, everyone doesn’t have to have all the information but knowing where to get it and sharing it among franchisees provides real value. 

Remaining wisdom (43:57)

Heather and Jerel share a few parting thoughts

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